How important is the MIPS cost category to radiology?March 19, 2018 -- The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services threw a surprise into the Quality Payment Program final rule for 2018 when it included the cost category as 10% of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score for 2018 reporting. In this new article, Richard Morris of Healthcare Administrative Partners helps you prepare for the change. Discuss

New data from Match 2018 underscore radiology's reboundMarch 16, 2018 -- Radiology has completed its rebound as a specialty that's desirable to medical students, if data from this week's 2018 Main Residency Match are any indication. U.S. diagnostic radiology programs reported in as 100% filled, with no programs posting any unfilled first-year radiology residency positions. Discuss

Is artificial intelligence ethical in healthcare?March 16, 2018 -- Artificial intelligence technology holds much promise for improving the quality of healthcare, but there are crucial ethical issues that need to be considered for the benefits of machine learning to be realized, according to a perspective piece published March 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Discuss

CT scans reveal changes to MLB baseballsMarch 16, 2018 -- CT may have helped researchers uncover why there's been an explosion of home runs in Major League Baseball (MLB). A group from California and Ohio scanned baseballs and found that their density has dipped in recent years -- supporting suspicions that "juiced balls" are behind the power surge. Discuss

Broken record? MedPAC still frets about imaging useMarch 15, 2018 -- Is the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) starting to sound like a broken record? The group's latest report to Congress continues to sound the alarm that imaging is overused, despite the fact that growth in imaging utilization has actually declined since 2009. Discuss

DBT know-how boosts FFDM recall, cancer detection ratesMarch 15, 2018 -- A study in the March issue of Radiology indicates that experience with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) may change the way breast imagers interpret 2D mammograms in subtle but significant ways. Researchers found higher recall rates in this scenario, but also a boost in cancer detection rates and positive predictive value. Discuss

MR spectroscopy links ADHD drugs to positive emotionsMarch 15, 2018 -- MR spectroscopy of the brain indicates that drugs taken for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can cause an increase in the neurotransmitter glutamate, positively influencing a person's mood, according to a study published online March 6 in Neuropsychopharmacology. Discuss

Head CT scan finds large air pocket displacing brainMarch 15, 2018 -- Clinicians in Northern Ireland reported that CT scans of a patient revealed a sizable black spot in the frontal lobe of the brain. This hypodense mark turned out to be a pocket of air that was compressing brain tissue as it seeped into the skull, according to a paper in BMJ Case Reports. Discuss